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Pierre Omidyar

image from wiki en (link) by Joi 15:42, 2 August 2007 (UTC) is licensed CC BY 2.0 (link)
Born:

1967
Organizations:

Ebay

Omidyar Network

Omidyar Network Fund
Residence:

Honolulu, Hawaii
Spouse:

Pam Omidyar

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Pierre Omidyar is a billionaire philanthropist and the founder of multinational e-commerce company eBay as well as the philanthropic organizations Omidyar Network and Omidyar Network Fund. 1

As of 2025, Omidyar’s net worth was estimated to be $10.6 billion according to Forbes. 1 Pierre Omidyar’s wife Pam is involved in Pierre’s philanthropy, and the couple was listed together on TIME’s 2025 list of the top 100 philanthropists in the world. 2

Early Life and Career

Pierre Omidyar was born on June 21, 1967 to Iranian parents in Paris, France. His family immigrated to the United States due to his father’s work. He graduated from Tufts University with a bachelor’s degree in computer science in 1988. 3

After graduating, Omidyar was hired by Apple subsidiary Claris to develop Macintosh software. In 1991, he and three friends started software company Ink Development Corp., with an internet commerce division eShop Inc. Omidyar worked as an engineer for eShop until he left to become a developer at communications company General Magic until eShop was sold to Microsoft in 1996. 3

In 1995, Omidyar opened Auction Web, a person-to-person auction website. Auction Web was renamed “eBay” in 1997; by that time, hosting 800,000 auctions a day. Omidyar became a billionaire in the fall of 1998 when eBay became a publicly traded company. 3

In 2002, eBay acquired PayPal, a payment facilitator co-founded by Peter Thiel, to process its online payments. Ten years after its founding, eBay employed over 15,000 people and operated in over 30 countries. 3

In September 2020, Omidyar resigned from eBay’s board of directors. As of 2022, he was still the company’s largest shareholder. 3

Journalism

Omidyar has used some of his wealth to fund journalistic ventures. In October 2013, Omidyar pledged $250 million to found First Look Media, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that publishes a number of online left-wing media publications. 4 5

The Intercept, First Look Media’s first publication, was launched in February 2014. Controversial left-wing journalist Glenn Greenwald was one of the website’s editors. Gawker editor John Cook joined as editor-in-chief of the website in March 2014. 6 The Intercept’s original staff, including Greenwald, were involved in the disclosure of classified national security documents by onetime National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, who later fled to Russia. 7

First Look Media also publishes the websites Field of Vision (a documentary project), The NIB (a comic site), and Topic (an entertainment and culture site).8

In 2017, Omidyar pledged $100 million to fight so-called “fake news.”9

In 2018, Omidyar and his wife Pam founded  “disinformation” watchdog group Luminate. As of 2025, it had offices in the United Kingdom, Kenya, and the United States. 10 11

Democracy Fund

Also see Democracy Fund (Nonprofit)

In 2011, Omidyar founded the Democracy Fund, a 501(c)(3) private foundation headquartered in Washington, D.C. In a March 2013 article in the Huffington Post, Omidyar stated part of his reason for creating the Fund was “support[ing] social entrepreneurs and others working to directly address the conditions that threaten the ability of our government to represent the public’s highest interests, to retain the public’s trust, and to meet the many great challenges that we face12 Joe Goldman is president of the Democracy Fund.13

The Fund distributes grants and funds various political and journalism groups including the Aspen Institute, Millennial Action Project (MAP), and the National Institute for Civil Discourse, according to its website. 14 Data from the website Foundation Search shows nearly $8.9 million in 46 grants in 2015, many of which went to left-wing organizations. Some of the 2015 grantees include the Bipartisan Policy Center, Pew Charitable Trusts, Proteus Fund, Democracy Works, Knight Foundation, Free Press, Public Citizen Foundation, and New Venture Fund.15

Omidyar also founded Democracy Fund Voice, a 501(c)(4) “sister organization” to Democracy Fund. The organization’s website notes it “is solely funded by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar and his wife Pam,” and its 2016 Form 990 federal filing shows $5,510,000 in contributions from Omidyar. The organization’s filings also note it has a “cost-sharing agreement” with Democracy Fund. 16

The organization’s Form 990 filing for 2016 lists one of its principal projects as supporting “organizations that educate, register, and activate voters,” but claims it does not “support efforts or organizations that endorse candidates.”16

Democracy Fund Voice notes that it has funded politically active groups, including the Sixteen Thirty Fund, Stand Up Republic, Human Rights First, New America, Faith and Public Dialogue, Institute for Social Policy Understanding, and ReThink Media.17 Its Form 990 for 2016 also shows grants to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund and Vote.org (a 501(c)(3) voter mobilization nonprofit). 18

Omidyar Network

Also see Omidyar Network Fund (Nonprofit)

The Omidyar Network Fund is a Redwood City, California-based 501(c)(3) foundation created in 2004 that serves as Omidyar’s primary philanthropic vehicle. It is closely connected to the Omidyar Network, a for-profit venture capital LLC that makes grants to “companies focused on social change” through its 501(c)(3) affiliate.19 As of 2014, the Network had nearly $322 million in assets, and in that year distributed $45 million in grants.20

The Omidyar Network is a major funder of the Sunlight Foundation—a left-leaning nonprofit also funded by liberal foundations like the Rockefeller Family Fund, Knight Foundation, and Bloomberg Family Foundation—giving the group over $17 million in 9 grants between 2007 and 2013.12 21 Other grant recipients include the Tides Foundation, Tides Center, George Soros’ Open Society Foundations, and the Brennan Center for Justice.22

Political Activity

Omidyar has donated to Democratic Party candidates. During the Democratic Party presidential primaries in 2008, he donated to the campaigns of both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Ahead of the 2016 election, it was reported that Omidyar and his wife have donated $200,000 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and $150,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee “over the years.”23

In November 2024, Capital Research Center reported that Pierre Omidyar had provided funding to the Governors Safeguarding Democracy, a network of state Governors that included Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker (D) and Colorado Governor Jared Polis (D) to oppose the policies of the second Trump administration.  24 25 26

Elon Musk and Twitter

Between 2021 and 2022, the Omidyar Network had donated roughly $509,500 in a series of grants to online speech advocate Accountable Tech, one of several organization that launched a “Stop the Deal” campaign which called for a boycott of Twitter in June 2022 should tech entrepreneur Elon Musk buy the platform; the billionaire began an acquisition in April 2022 that concluded in October of that year. 27 28 The grant listings showed that Omidyar’s Omidyar Network had donated roughly $2 million in grants between 2019 and 2022 to several groups part of the June 2022 campaign, including SumOfUs and UltraViolet, as well as those which signed a letter in November 2022, including the Center for American Progress and the Tech Oversight Project, asking Twitter’s top 20 advertisers to boycott the platform. 27 29 30 Omidyar Network spokeswoman Beth Kanter released a statement to the Free Beacon in regard to the company’s connections to the Twitter boycott campaign, claiming, “We routinely support organizations that share our vision for a responsible technology system, but do not direct their day-to-day activities30

It was reported by the Free Beacon that the Omidyar Network had donated over $300,000 to fund the February 2023 Summit for Digital Content Next, a trade summit for media companies that include Warner Brothers Discovery, Bloomberg, NBC Universal News Group, the New York Times, and Politico. 31 32 In December 2022, the group’s CEO Jason Kint posted on Twitter demanding Musk to be “hauled in front of Congress” if he didn’t restore the twitter accounts of those previously tracking the billionaire’s private jet. 30 33

AI Collaborative

In 2023, the Omidyar Network announced it was spending an initial $30 million towards the development of “generative artificial intelligence (AI).” The Network claimed it was due to its commitment towards “reimagining capitalism” by prioritizing “positive human and societal impact” while creating a more “inclusive” infrastructure for “diverse voices” in AI development and “governance.” The initiative was reportedly part of the Biden administration’s push for AI safety in November of that year. 34

The Omidyar Group later launched AI Collaborative, an initiative to create a “governance model” for developing AI towards advancing “democratic values and principles.”  35 36 37

At the  February 2025 AI Action Summit in Paris, AI Collaborative co-established a $400 million public-private partnership between tech companies, governments, and philanthropic groups to ensure AI “serves democratic interests.” 2

Personal Life

Pierre Omidyar met his wife Pam in the San Francisco Bay Area before he started eBay. The couple was listed together on TIME’s 2025 list of the top 100 philanthropists in the world. Pierre and Pam were founding members, along with Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, of the Giving Pledge, a commitment by signers to donate a majority of their wealth to philanthropic causes. Pam is the founder of health impact fund Hopelab. 38 39 2 40

The couple made their first significant donation in 2005 when they gave their alma mater Tufts University $100 million to create the Omidyar-Tufts Microfinance Fund, a fund to invest in microfinance projects administered by Tufts trustees. Pam was involved in the founding of the Omidyar Network and the various organizations it has founded, including the Democracy Fund, as well as the AI Collaborative. 41 42

As of 2025, Pierre Omidyar lives in Honolulu, Hawaii within a community which includes Lee Kun-hee, the chair of Samsung, and actress Liza Minelli. 43

As of 2025, Pierre Omidyar sat on the board of trustees of eBay, the Punahou School, and Santa Fe Institute. 42

References

  1. “Pierre Omidyar.” Forbes, July 3, 2025. Accessed July 3, 2025. https://www.forbes.com/profile/pierre-omidyar/
  2. Pillay, Tharin. “Pam Omidyar and Pierre Omidyar.” TIME, May 20, 2025. Accessed July 3, 2025. https://time.com/collections/time100-philanthropy-2025/7286018/pierre-omidyar-pam-omidyar/
  3. “Pierre Omidyar – Founder of eBay.” Academy of Achievement, February 4, 2022. Accessed July 3, 2025. https://achievement.org/achiever/pierre-omidyar/#biography.
  4. “The Extraordinary Promise of the New Greenwald-Omidyar Venture (UPDATED).” Columbia Journalism Review. Accessed March 28, 2018. https://archives.cjr.org/the_audit/the_extraordinary_promise_of_t.php.
  5. “Here’s Who’s Backing Glenn Greenwald’s New Website”. 2013. Huffpost. Accessed January 2 2018. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/15/glenn-greenwald-pierre-omidyar_n_4103026.html.
  6. Kafka, Peter. “Gawker’s John Cook Joins First Look Media.” Recode. March 10, 2014. Accessed March 28, 2018. https://www.recode.net/2014/3/10/11624362/gawkers-john-cook-joins-first-look-media.
  7. Gallagher, Ryan. “How the NSA Plans to Infect ‘Millions’ of Computers with Malware.” The Intercept. March 12, 2014. Accessed March 28, 2018. https://theintercept.com/2014/03/12/nsa-plans-infect-millions-computers-malware/.
  8. “First Look Media.” First Look Media. Accessed March 28, 2018. https://firstlook.media/.
  9. “Forbes Welcome”. 2018. Forbes.Com. Accessed January 2 2018. https://www.forbes.com/sites/katevinton/2017/04/05/billionaire-pierre-omidyars-foundation-commits-100-million-to-support-investigative-journalism/#260dcbc369f6.
  10. “About Luminate.” Luminate. Accessed July 3, 2025. https://www.luminategroup.com/about.
  11. “Contact Us.” Luminate. Accessed July 3, 2025. https://www.luminategroup.com/contact-us.
  12. Omidyar, Pierre. “Why I Created the Democracy Fund.” The Huffington Post. March 18, 2013. Accessed March 28, 2018. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/pierre-omidyar/the-democracy-fund_b_2489430.html.
  13. “Democracy Fund.” DemocracyFund. Accessed March 28, 2018. https://www.democracyfund.org.
  14. “Our Priorities.” DemocracyFund. Accessed March 28, 2018. https://www.democracyfund.org/priorities.
  15. “Grant Visualizer: Democracy Fund.” Foundation Search. Accessed March 28, 2018. https://www.foundationsearch.com.
  16. Democracy Fund Voice, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2016, Part III Line 4b.
  17. “Civil Politics.” Democracy Fund Voice. Accessed March 28, 2018. http://democracyfundvoice.org/our-work/civil-politics/.
  18. Democracy Fund Voice, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2016, Part I.
  19. Guth, Robert A. “EBay Founder’s Philanthropic Firm to Donate More.” The Wall Street Journal. October 22, 2008. Accessed March 28, 2018. https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB122463722341457039?mod=todays_us_page_one.
  20. Omidyar Network, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2014, Part III Line 4b.
  21. “Grant Visualizer: Sunlight Foundation.” Foundation Search. Accessed March 28, 2018. http://www.foundationsearch.com.
  22. Maghami, Neil. “The Philanthropy of Pierre Omidyar, the EBay Billionaire.” Capital Research Center (Foundation Watch, June 2014). June 2, 2014. Accessed March 28, 2018. https://capitalresearch.org/article/omidyar_ebay/.
  23. Dunbar, John, Michael Beckel, and Carrie Levine. 2016. “Pierre Omidyar Gives $100,000 To New Anti-Trump Super PAC”. Center For Public Integrity. Accessed January 2 2018. https://www.publicintegrity.org/2016/04/15/19564/pierre-omidyar-gives-100000-new-anti-trump-super-pac.
  24. [1] Epstein, Reid J. “Democratic Governors Form a Group to Oppose the Trump Administration.” New York Times. November 13, 2024. Accessed via Web Archive November 19, 2024. https://archive.ph/Vvfad#selection-951.0-955.42.
  25. “About Us.” Governors Safeguarding Democracy. Accessed July 3, 2025. https://govsfordemocracy.org/about-us/.
  26. Thayer, Parker. “Mystery Donor Behind J.B. Pritzker’s Resistance Group Unmasked.” Capital Research Center, November 20, 2024. Accessed July 3, 2025. https://capitalresearch.org/article/mystery-donor-behind-j-b-prtizkers-resistance-group-unmasked/.
  27. Goldman, Alana. “Mystery Solved: Left-Wing Billionaire Pierre Omidyar Bankrolls Shadowy Anti-Musk Group.” Free Beacon, February 21, 2023. https://freebeacon.com/latest-news/mystery-solved-left-wing-billionaire-pierre-omidyar-bankrolls-shadowy-anti-musk-group/
  28. Feiner, Lauren. “Musk’s Twitter deal faces backlash from advocacy groups that are seeking to block it.” CNBC, June 3, 2022. https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/03/musks-twitter-deal-faces-backlash-from-advocacy-groups.html
  29. “Responsible Technology.” Omidyar Network, Accessed March 2, 2023. https://omidyar.com/responsible-technology-partners/
  30. Karr, Timothy. “Civil-Society Groups Call on Twitter’s Top-20 Advertisers to Demand that Elon Musk Fulfill His Promise to Safeguard Their Brands and Protect Users.” The Free Press, November 1, 2022. https://www.freepress.net/news/press-releases/civil-society-groups-call-twitters-top-20-advertisers-demand-elon-musk-fulfill-promises
  31. “Current Members.” Digital Content Next, Accessed March 2, 2023. https://digitalcontentnext.org/membership/members/
  32. “Speakers.” Digital Content Next: Summit, Accessed March 3, 2023. https://events.digitalcontentnext.org/next-summit-2023/speakers
  33. Kint, Jason (@jason_kint). “I don’t know what happened here but if @elonmusk doesn’t fix this within the hour with an explanation by morning, I’ll be on Capitol Hill tomorrow demanding that he be hauled in front of Congress.” Twitter, December 15, 2022. https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1603637013235658752
  34. “Omidyar Network launches a dedicated funding effort to promote inclusive and responsible development of generative AI.” Omidyar Network, December 5, 2023. Accessed July 3, 2025. https://omidyar.com/update/omidyar-network-launches-a-dedicated-funding-effort-to-promote-inclusive-and-responsible-development-of-generative-ai/.
  35. “AI Collaborative.” Collaborative.ai. Accessed July 3, 2025. https://collaborative.ai/.
  36. “Initiatives & Grants.” The Omidyar Group. Accessed July 3, 2025. https://www.omidyargroup.com/pov/organizations/initiatives-grants/.
  37. “Our Perspective on Generative AI.” Omidyar Network. Accessed July 3, 2025. https://omidyar.com/point-of-view/generative-ai/.
  38. [1] “Pierre Omidyar – Founder of eBay.” Academy of Achievement, February 4, 2022. Accessed July 3, 2025. https://achievement.org/achiever/pierre-omidyar/#biography.
  39. “About Our Philanthropic Organizations.” Omidyar Group. Accessed July 3, 2025. https://www.omidyargroup.com/the-omidyar-group/.
  40. “Pierre Omidyar.” Omidyar Network. Accessed July 3, 2025. https://omidyar.com/people/pierre-omidyar/
  41. [1] Pillay, Tharin. “Pam Omidyar and Pierre Omidyar.” TIME, May 20, 2025. Accessed July 3, 2025. https://time.com/collections/time100-philanthropy-2025/7286018/pierre-omidyar-pam-omidyar/.
  42. “Pierre Omidyar.” Sante Fe Institute. Accessed July 3, 2025. https://www.santafe.edu/people/profile/pierre-omidyar.
  43. Gourarie, Chava. “Honolulu Estate Sells for Nearly $66 Million, a Record Home Sale for Hawaii.” Mansion Global, April 18, 2025. Accessed July 3, 2025. https://www.mansionglobal.com/articles/honolulu-estate-sells-for-nearly-66-million-a-record-home-sale-for-hawaii-ae103489.
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